Emeralds are a girl's best friend or at least they were for the ladies taking part in the Colombian Emeralds Caribbean Ladies Championships from 23-25 September. Hosted by the Royal British Virgin Islands Yacht Club the regatta was sailed in Laser Radials with nine competitors coming from four different nations.

Colombian Emeralds hosted US Laser coaches Kurt and Meka TAULBEE from SailFit to run a pre-regatta clinic on Friday and feedback and advice during the regatta. The event was planned to fun and educational for the sailors with the event goody bags being unique for a sailing event with everything from Moet and Chandon to corrosion block and sailing towels from Golden Hind Chandlery, there was even lip gloss!

Saturday was the first day of racing and the wind struggled to reach ten knots the whole day. Race officer Bob PHILIPS managed to get four races in before and after lunch shortening and lengthening the courses as the wind came and went.

Four sailors showed they were all worthy of the Emeralds. Puerto Rico's Patricia VILLAFANE came first in races two, four and seven, St. Croix's Felice BRYAN won races three and five and overnight leader Sydney JONES, also from St. Croix, won races one, six and eight. The British Virgin Islands' Emma PAULL had five second places.

At the end of racing on Saturday there was a point's difference between first and second and third and fourth.

On Sunday the sailors were glad to see slightly more wind so they could stretch their legs and hike out. PAULL worked her way through the fleet to win race nine with VILLAFANE and JONES close behind. Race ten saw BRYAN take out a huge lead on the fleet to comfortably win with PAULL and VILLAFANE battling for second and third. In race eleven, leader JONES sailed the wrong course and did not realize her mistake in time to correct it, so did not finish, which meant PAULL won and Linda PHILIPS (IVB) came second, her best finish in the weekend.

The last race was a close tussle between PAULL and JONES with PAULL taking the lead on the last beat to win the race and the regatta.

Further down the fleet Elsa MYERS (IVB), the youngest sailor in the fleet, received praise from the coach for her boat speed but she made some tactical mistakes which gave her seventh overall. Linda PAULL and Jane PAULL (GBR) also had one point's difference on Saturday night but Linda kept ahead of Jane on Sunday to take fifth.

All that then remained was for Genny KUNG from Colombian Emeralds to hand out the prizes.

Tom Burton (AUS) and Alison Young (GBR) hit the right note in the Laser and Laser Radial at ISAF Sailing World Cup Melbourne as they took out the top honours and qualification spots to the 2015 ISAF Sailing World Cup Final.

It was double Australian gold in the Paralympic classes. Matt Bugg (AUS) came out on top in the 2.4mR whilst London 2012 Paralympic SKUD18 gold medallists Dan Fitzgibbon and Liesl Tesch (AUS) were triumphant in the two person keelboat.

Lithuania's Juozas Bernotas came out on top in the Men's RS:X whilst Russia's Stefania Elfutina was triumphant in the Women's RS:X. Both sailors claim the first Abu Dhabi ISAF Sailing World Cup Final spots whilst Jock Calvert (AUS) and Joanna Sterling (AUS) picked up the Oceanic spots for the Emirati finale.

There was some fast paced action in the 49er and 49erFX Medal Races at ISAF Sailing World Cup Melbourne as Nathan Outteridge & Iain Jensen (AUS) and Maia & Ragna Agerup (NOR) claimed the honours and Abu Dhabi final spots.

A tight group of five young Papua New Guinean (PNG) Laser sailors are stepping up their 2015 Pacific Games competition program using this week's ISAF Sailing World Cup Melbourne. PNG is one of 33 countries represented at the important Oceanic event, the largest Olympic sailing regatta in the southern hemisphere.

Nicolai Sehested (DEN) and his TREFOR Match Racing Team clinched victory today at the Energa Sopot Match Race, Poland, the 10th stage and World Championship Event of the 2015 World Match Racing Tour (WMRT).

There was no stopping current, and five-time ISAF Match Racing World Champion Ian Williams (GBR), GAC Pindar today at the Energa Sopot Match Race as he swiftly dispatched his Quarter Final opponent Joachim Aschenbrenner (DEN) in three straight wins.

The International Sailing Federation (ISAF) continues to address concerns and is taking steps to ensure the health and safety of all athletes who will be competing in the upcoming Aquece Rio, Olympic Test Event and the Rio 2016 Olympic Sailing Competition.

Veteran Polish match racer and America's Cup helmsman Karol Jablonski skilfully played the gusty conditions today to lead the twelve strong field of teams at the end of Day 2 of Qualifying at the 2015 Energa Sopot Match Race.